Eddie Read field

by James Scully

Acclamation has won his last two starts by a combined 10 1/2 lengths (Benoit Photos) Saturday’s Grade 1 Eddie Read Stakes at Del Mar will have a little bit of everything. Long-distance specialist Acclamation, miler Caracortado, East Coast invader Smart Bid and the classy mare Celtic Princess highlight an excellent field of eight in the 1 1/8-mile affair on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course. Acclamation will enter in stellar form for trainer Don Warren, recording dominant wins in the 1 1/4-mile Charles Whittingham Memorial and 1 1/2-mile Jim Murray Handicap in his last two starts, and the five-year-old has received a nice freshening in advance of the race. He easily captured those same two events last season before shipping east for the Grade 1 United Nations at Monmouth Park, where he checked in last of nine runners, and the California-bred horse could no better than sixth when returning three weeks later in the 2010 Eddie Read. Acclamation is eligible to show more off a 42-day rest Saturday, and the front runner will have the services of leading rider Joel Rosario.

Acclamation will spot his seven rivals two-to-seven pounds as the 123-pound
highweight.

Grade 2 winner Caracortado just missed behind the well-regarded Courageous
Cat in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile last out, recording a neck second,
and finished only a head back in second following a wide trip in the Grade 1 Frank E.
Kilroe Mile in March. The Michael Machowsky-trained gelding did capture his
lone turf attempt at nine furlongs, winning the restricted Sunshine Millions
Turf this winter, and the stretch runner would benefit from a solid pace on
Saturday. Regular rider Joe Talamo will guide the four-year-old chestnut.

Smart Bid merits serious respect off his recent performances. A nose second
in the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap, the five-year-old horse followed with a
victory in the Grade 2 Mervyn Muniz Jr. at Fair Grounds. He’s run well in defeat
in his last two outings, finishing second by less than a length in the Grade 1 Woodford
Reserve Turf Classic at Churchill Downs before grabbing runner-up honors in
the Colonial Turf Cup last out, and horseman Graham Motion wins at nearly a 20
percent rate with shippers. Smart Bid will bring jockey Edgar Prado with him
from the East Coast.

Celtic Princess will tackle male rivals on the upswing for trainer A.C.
Avila, who has orchestrated a major turnaround in form for the seven-year-old
mare this season. Unplaced in five straight U.S. starts last year, the champion
Brazilian import was transferred to Avila and snapped her winless streak with a
comfortable 1 3/4-length decision over allowance/optional claiming rivals at
Santa Anita in late December. She wasn’t seen again until the Grade 1 Gamely
Stakes on May 30 and nearly stole the race on the lead, coming up a head short in a game
runner-up effort. Celtic Princess showed her class time, overcoming an awkward
start to win the Grade 2 Royal Heroine Mile going away by 2 1/4 lengths, and
jockey Rafael Bejarano will have her on or close to the lead from the start of
the Eddie Read.

Multiple Grade 2 winner Jeranimo will make his first appearance
since a fourth in the Grade 3 Inglewood in late April, and French Group 3 hero
Goldwaki will look to improve in his second start stateside
following a disappointing last-place effort in the American H. (G2). Grade 3
victor Leroy’s Dynameaux and multiple Grade 2-placed Kid Edward, the respective one-two finishers from a July 2
allowance/optional claiming event at Hollywood Park, round out the deep line-up.